The Press., 1887-10-27


 of the Stafford fair written by Danbury lady. If Danbury people don't know good fair when they see it, who does |? Her letter begins by enumerating the we'll know n difficulties under which the fair was held, and says: The officers quickly rallied, however, and working with will, soon had everything in running order and the exhibition was excellent ill every de- partment Horticultural hall was we'll filled with a fine display of fruit, vegeta- bles, butter and cheese. Senator Hyde alone made an exhibit of more than eighty varieties of apples. MT. P. M. Augur, of Middlefeld, was the judge in this depart ment. The display of butter was the fin- est and most attractive your correspondent has ever seen at any agricultural fair. The Windsor and MerrOw creameries were in close competition, and many private dairies were we'll represented.
 Exhibition hall was crowded to over flowing, and was bright and attractive in the ladies' industrial department, silk quilts, and knitted and crocheted counter psnes swung from lines above our heads i; and paintings and crayons, lambrequins and laces, and embroideries of all kinds hung from the walls or were displayed in glass cases. The beautiful exhibit of the Holland Grange, occupied portion of this building, and was the centre of attraction, The pavilion was the chief object of admir- ation and was graceful and artistic piece of work, wrought out with seeds and ce- reals, barks, mosses, etc.
 The table or pedestal on which rested the four columns that supported the intri- cate roof, was filled with trays of wheat rye, corn, oats, beans, nuts of all kinds :; depending from the sides of this pedestal EN1r0 oR 1<2gr -l.s beneath all this were piled in profusion the homely but indispensable vegetables of all sorts and sizes. The Case of antiquities in this exhibit was extensive and worthy of more special attention than we have time to give it two old Bibles were shown 1; one was printed in 1865, and the other some twenty-ave years later. Taking it altogether it was the prettiest typical ex- hibit of the farm we have ever seen, and one which is never, seen in the western part of the state
 The bench show was highly commenda- ble, and in point of quality of the dogs shown has not been equaled in the state. The judges were experts, MT. Thomas Dawson and H. Clay Glover of New York, and Dr. George Walton of Boston, being the committee.
 The show of blooded stock was good, but not large. Ayrshires, Jerseys, Hol- stems and Devons were represented, the principal exhibitors being William D. Hol- man, MT. Pomeroy, of Somers, and B. H. Hyde, of Stafford. The latter gentleman had sixteen head of fine thoroughbred Dev ons. The trains of working cattle and steers were the largest ever seen in the state, there being in all 249 pairs in line, which reached entirely around the half mile track.
 In the races the horses were called on time, and every heat came off promptly. And right here would commend an excel lent feature in the~ management of this de- pertinent, and which is wofully lacking iI larger and more pretensious fairs than this at Stafford. It is the rapidity and system with which every moment of time between the heat is utilized and filled up by various sports, games, races, etc. Here we had Professor Gleason with his trained horses, and the disciphning ofvIcious horses which alone was worth the price of admission. Then there were the trained steers of MT. Lyon, a mule race, a dog race, hurdle race with horses, and one by one the ath- 1etes, who gave various exhibitions in jumping, kicking, leaping, etc., at differ ent times. The crowds on the grand stand, reserved seats stand, invited guests stand. judges stand, etc., were held spell bound to the last moment. There was no going out for drinks between the acts, not only because there was something to attract the attention all the time, but because there was nothing to drink of the nature alluded to on the grounds. In fact the Stafford people were tlle first to take the initiative step in abolishing intoxicants from their grounds, yearsago, and which they have rigidly and successfully enforced ever since.
 There's another thing in which the Staf- fond society are the enterprising leaders,